Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Presidency Conference Programme
The programme will be updated with speakers as they are confirmed. Please check regularly for updates.
| Day 1 – 4th November | |||
| Time | Session | ||
| 08:15 | Registration
Tea & coffee, networking | ||
| 08:55 | Opening Remarks (Plenary)
Research Ireland / DG EAC James Lawless, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Irish Government. | ||
| 09:15 | Keynote – Resilience of research careers in a changing global environment
Orla Feely, President, University College Dublin (Ireland) and President, CESAER. | ||
| 10:00 | Panel 1 Discussion – Enabling resilient and future-proofed research careers
The panel will explore how institutions, funding instruments, and support structures can better equip researchers to build sustainable, diverse careers spanning academia, industry, policy and beyond. Moderator: Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, European Research Executive Agency, European Commission (Belgium) Panellists:
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| 11:10 | Break
Tea & coffee, networking | ||
| 11:35 | Panel 2 Discussion – Global challenges to researcher mobility (scientific freedom, research security, and barriers to mobility)
This panel will explore how Europe can sustain the openness and international mobility that underpins the MSCA and the European Research Area in an environment of rising geopolitical tension, research security concerns and risk of erosion to scientific freedom. Moderator: Ornela Bardhi, Marie Curie Alumni Association (Finland) Panellists:
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| 12:50 | Wrap Up
MC wraps up morning sessions and announces afternoon breakout sessions. | ||
| 13:00 | Lunch Break
Networking | ||
| 14:15 | Parallel Sessions
Within each session participants will discuss how the different actors (institutions/employers, funding environment, and researchers) can make meaningful changes to improve research career resilience. Each session will feature one speaker to provide a pitch, a moderator to steer discussion, and a rapporteur to capture constructive recommendations. | ||
| Session 1: How to address career transitions
(topics include awareness, planning for different career pathways, building networks) | Session 2: How to improve intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility
(topics include skills, secondments and reformed research assessment) | Session 3: How to make Europe more attractive for researchers
(topics include research freedom, research security awareness, predictable funding supporting different career pathways) | |
| 15:45 | Break
Tea & coffee, networking | ||
| 16:15 | Summary of Discussions from Parallel Sessions
The MC will convene representatives from the parallel sessions to report back to the plenary group on key points raised. Further discussion and input from conference attendees will be welcomed ahead of summary conclusions. | ||
| 17:00 | Close of Day 1 and Introduction to MSCA at 30 Celebration on Day 2 | ||
| Day 2 – 5th November | |
| 08:30 | Registration
Tea & coffee, networking |
| 09:00 | Opening Remarks Day 2 |
| 09:05 | MSCA Celebration Video 1 |
| 09:10 | Official opening of the celebration
Irish Presidency Officials / European Commission |
| 09:35 | Keynote – The MSCA’s transformative role for individuals and institutions through the lens of research career resilience
Rana Sanyal, Boğaziçi University (Turkiye), Co-Founder and CSO, RS Research |
| 10:25 | MSCA Celebration Video 2 |
| 10:30 | Panel discussion
MSCA celebratory podcast created by Shane Bergin (UCD) in discussion with MSCA alumni |
| 11:15 | Break
Tea & coffee, networking |
| 11:35 | Cultural Performance |
| 11:45 | Panel – Stories of Success – Alumni Voices over 30 Years
This panel will showcase testimonies from previous MSCA fellows on how their fellowship has impacted their career resilience, with advice for future fellows. Moderator: Valeria Nicolosi, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) Panellists:
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| 12:50 | Plenary Address – Looking Back to Move Forward: the future of the MSCA
Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport & Culture |
| 13:10 | MSCA 30th Anniversary Birthday cake |
| 13:25 | Conference close and Announcement of next presidency event |
| 13:30 | Lunch |